Door buffer



Aprll 26, 1932. J. R. HUGHES DOOR BUFFER Filed Deo.

IN VEN TOR. Ma/,m A-TTO Patented Apr. 26,1932

i UNrrED s'rarss PATENTOFFICE@ JAMES R. HUG-EEES, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T THE STUDEBAKER COB- PORATION, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION 0F NEW JERSEY l Doon BUFFER 'Application"fileiiinembr as, v1929.' vserial No. 416,315-y Thisinventio-n relates to buffers or cushions designed for cushioning the door of vehicle bodies.

One of the objects is to provide a resilient cushioning member for cushioning the closing impact of the door and prevent rattling of the door for vehicle bodies when the same is in closed position.

Another object is to provide a device em- 110 bodying a resilient` cushioning member which may be conveniently attached to the door to effectively bear against a stationary part of the vehicle, such as a pillar therefor, to elect its function in the most satisfactory manner.

Another object is to provide a resilient bufferconforming in shape to that portion of the door to which it is attached and having a broad face inclined to the edge'face of the door adapted to engage with a correspending face on the body pillar to prevent the door from rattling and vibrating on its hinges when in closed position.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists of certain details of construction and manufacture which will be apparent from the detailed description to follow, and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a suitable embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an automobile, in dotted lines, showing the doors therefor in full lines.

35 Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, showing my improved buifers attached to the doors.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the buffer.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the body pillar.

Heretofore it has been the practiceto use resilient buffers attached to the body pillar or the door in such a manner that they would cushion the closing impact of the door only but would not prevent rattling of the door due to movement of the same longitudinally to the aXis of the vehicle body of which the door forms a part. In my improved device,

I provide a door buffer which will cushion also effectively preventrattling` of the door when in closed position. Referring tothe accompanying parts of thedr'awingsin which `like nutmerals refer to lilrepart's throughoutthe several-views, I have shown avehicle body 10, V,in dntted lines, in which is-mounted the doors L11 vand 12. Asithe construction of each door is the. same, so far yasythi's inventlon 1s concerned,

nating in `a flange 14 vatfitsv inner edge to .the eiosingimpaee ofthe door and whicnwin 'receivet'he interior panel-mem'berr 15. The

edge member 13 terminates in a flange 16v at its outeredge to which lifs secured the outer Y panel 17, the panels 17 yand 15 being formed to provide a recess'iniwhich the glass 18 is slidably mounted. The 'edge memberfl is formed to provide a recessed portion 19 into which the door buffer is mounted.y The vdoor-'buffer 2O maybe 'of 'a somewhat irregular. :shfapefadapted to conform with the shape fof the recess 19 and the same is provided with a broad vface 21 adapted to contact witha corrresponding'y face on the body pillar. A reinforcing `plate 22i's preferably moulded pinto the buffer 20iand isa'dapted to receive the screw 23 'which' may be inserted through the-'opening24 formed 'in the bu'er 2O and adapted'to be screwed into the edge member 13, as clearly appears inFi'gure 2, to securely l hold the buffer v20 in position.

Extending between the doors 11 and 12 is va body pillar 25-which preferably is provided f with depressed portions 26 forming afface at an angle tothe edge member 13 of the door and vcorresponding-with the face 21 ofthe buffer 20.' wIt will thus be seen that when the p i door is moved toward closed position that the `face -r21fof the bui'erQO will engage with the face 26'o'fth'e pillar-..25 to cushion the closing impact of the door. It will lalso be under-v stood that due to theafac't that the face 21 of the buifer 20 is at an angle to the face of the .edge memberl 13 of `the door that the buffer 2.0v will prevent rattling orvibration of' the .Said panafdoor due to any movement thereof in a direction parallel with the longitudinal axis of the body.

The door buffer heretofore described is very economical to manufacture, easy to assemble and furthermore it is easy to adjust the same relative to the fixed part of the body such as the pillar 25 and for that purpose, Ipreferably provide a shim or shims A27.V As the door builer `becomes worn, the shims 27 may be positioned between the buffer 20 and the door member 13, as shown in Figure 2, so that any clearance or play bet-Ween the buffer 2O and the pillar 25 maybe taken up and the buffer Will be caused to function in the most satisfactory manner. While I have shown Honly one shim 27 for accomplishing this purpose it,ofcourse, isto be understood that any suitable number may be used or thatthe same may be dispensed with if the position of the buffer 2O does not require the use of the same. Y z v I preferably form the buffer of a suitable resilient material for the purpose described and preferablyl use a moulded rubber, al-

though the invention is not limited to the use of rubber for this purpose but instead any of the materialsfknownfto mechanics skilled in this art may be substituted which Will accomplish the result 'heretofore described.

While I have shown one suitable embodiment of the present invention, it is to be understood that various modifications may be vmade Without departing, from the spirit and buffer having al metal plate formed therein and an` opening substantially perpendicular to said plate, a screw'insertable through said opening engageable With said plate for clamping Y said bu'er in the recess in said door, said buffer having abroad iat face engageable with the angle face in said body pillar for cushioning said door and preventing longitudinal movement of the same relative to 22 vIn l'combina-tion with a door provided `with an edgemember having a recess formed therein, a body pillar having a depressed flat face' substantially parallel With one of the Wallsy 'of said recess, and a resilient buffer formed with a plurality of flat faces extending into said recessl and secured'therein and having 4a broad flat face 'exteriorly of said recess engageable with the depressed flat face of said pillar to cushion said door relative to said pillar. v

.B jIn combination With a door provided with an 'edge'member having a recess formed 1,855,713 f j' .Y l

therein, a Wall portion of said recess being substantially perpendicular to the edge face of said door, a second portion being substantially parallel With said edge face, and a third portion being at an angle to said first named portions, a body pillar having a depressed fiat face at an angle to the face of said edge member, and a resilient buffer having a portion extending into said recess engageable with the Wall portions thereof and secured therein andhavinga broad flat face extending exteriorly of said recess engageable with the depressed flat face of said pillar to cushion said door relative to said pillar. Signed by me at South Bend, Indiana, this 24th dayof December, 1929.

' r`JAMES R. HUGHES. 

